cerveza, musica, marijuana

My encounter with Monkey Man


Right then to quote Morrissey, "Now my heart is full".

I went to the Ian Brown gig at the House of Blues in L.A. a 10min walk from my house. Didn't bother to turn up for the horrid opening act. Time I got there Ian came on in bout 20min. Fantastic gig, as it was my first time seeing him ever. Did all the classic Roses stuff and some good solo new and old stuff aswell. During the gig I decided to give him the two finger salute that caught his eye and smiled.


By the end of the gig I decided to try and meet the man himself. Well as I waited I met up with some other fans. We stayed together and smoked some weed. Well a nice couple passed us up and offered there ViP passes to us, course we snapped them up and head upstairs to the ViP lounge. We staked out the place and heard Ian was in one the dressing rooms. As we opened every door we finally hit jack pot (pot literally) a cloud of Kronic let out from one of the rooms and we just knew that be the one. Sure enough, I spotted Monkey boy himself right by the door. We strolled on in (and no particular order) introduced ourselves to Ian was in the mists of the convo. with James and the lads from Starsailor who are recording in Conway records in L.A. right now. When all the sudden Ian and my friend started to roll up some spliff. Ians an expert by the way.

He had a dead nice outfit, Dark Blue wrangler baggy jeans and t shirt and white sweat shirt with an Black leather adidas jacket on (one hes been picture in lately) oh and of course his Adidas Super Star 35th Anniv. kicks
He's as tall as I am 5'10 .

We talked about his wife being from the same state in Mexico my family is from. How I dig the fact that he's fookin admired by millions he goes out on the road and NEVER takes off his wedding band. And how I thought he is a cool dad to his kid and his wife. His response was " Ya know I came from nothing in a nothing place I met me wife and fell in love then we had our son and he changed me life. I love them both. D'you know wha I mean? Its the best feeling in the world" and I quote all that.

Don't know but from being in that ViP room for about an hour chatting with him he just felt like a normal dude. Not Ian Brown "Mr. Stone Roses" He signed my City of Manchester Map. Refused to sign my City Jersey. We talked bout weed. TONS of weed. He rolled 2 very fat spliffs.

Took down my home address and promised to send me a pair of his Ian Brown Adidas Super Star edition kicks asked my size (7.5us) and said he thinks he has a size 8uk and hell get me sorted on them. I said my goodbye and he walked me out and said "Jil Dont ever change stay the way you are I loved it" and then I replied "Thank you very much Ian youve changed my life with your music keep on monkeying around" And he replied back with a smile and ape noise..

He kept telling me I wore the wrong colors (city blue) that I should of worn red instead he did some ManUnited jig for me and my friends and one his crew whose a city supporter but, was cool with it cos he dug my presence. Dead nice and offered us water sodas and his spliff. He wasn't like all passed out sipping hard booze just spliff. Nice one. Said his choice of weed is American AK47 and some Mexican weed.,....Can't member the full name but he said it was Diamond something? (Any one?)

We talked bout John's artwork he said its the best fookin artwork ever. I gave him stick for not playing "Getting High" and "So many Soldiers"
he joked "they wouldn't let me play longer".

~Oasis stuff~

I told him it was tight that he had Noel on the album he said they'd done 2-4 songs but, kept only "Keep what you got"

I asked him about how the NME and the like tried to start up some BS rivalry between The Roses and Oasis back in the day. He told me a story that happened with him, mani, Liam and Noel. He said he'd gotten word the day before that the NME was gonna print a huge front page story on how Oasis and the roses hated eachother well they all went out to a pub in London got really pissed and as they exited all the photogs were ready to snap pics of any celebs passing by well Noel got Ian up on a piggy back ride and same with Mani picking up Liam. Well the NME saw the pics and decided not to run the story thtat was to go to print the very next day.

He told me Noel played him the new album and that "its all fuckin double magic you kids are gonna be thrilled". I told him Im not a kid, I'll be 31 next month" and he goes "that's cool luv your still a kid cos Im 42"


He asked me if I was gonna make it to any of the UK Oasis gigs. I said I wasnt sure but, that I wanted too. He said Awe there gonna be mega, Im playing in some of them.
Said his trying to learn more Spanish cos he said its limited to "cerveza, musica, marijuana" ...........

moz

The Zutons at the Troubador

I got to the Troubador without any tickets. I knew the show was sold out but, got at the box office anyway to at least ask and see if I could score a ticket. As I waited in line I asked a few people passing by or inline if they had one extra tix they might wanna sell me but, no luck. There was one couple in front of me at the box office window trying to get their tix they had been promised by knowing one of the members of the Zutons. The guy was told that only he could get in and not his guest. So the guy got mad and tried to shove the one ticket back to the box office girl when his Japanese girlfriend says to him " give it to the girl in back she needs just the one ticket" so he gave it to me along with the VIP sticker. So I drive home (5mins away from The Troub) got dressed and smoked some weed and got a cab to the gig.


As I walked in I noticed my chance to get to the front of the stage was slim. So I chilled in the back. As I scoped out the place I noticed this man and lady sitting all alone in the very VIP area that was reserved only for the two of them. I thought I was too high, and thought about returning the very strong kronic my mate had just sold me, when I noticed that Morrissey himself was at the same gig I was.

I know I shouldn't ave but, I kept looking up to where he was sitting just to see if it was him. I took a couple of bad pictures from a far but, I didn't care. As the Zutons came out I thought to myself "he (Moz) isn't gonna stay for the whole gig and risk being mobbed by fans after the gig. He's leaving by the fourth or fifth song." So I was gonna make a dash for the one and only entrance/exit the place has as soon as I saw him get up from his seat and meet him down the stairs. Well, to my surprise, he stayed the whole gig. The drummer then announced their final song and I dashed over to the bottom of the stairs. I saw a girl with a moz patch and decided to chat with her. We then both decided to go upstairs and TRY and meet him, I knew the chances were slim since Id seen the singer from The Shore try and get Mozs' attention and failed badly to do so. Any way, we talked to the burly "Hells Angeles" looking guy and conviced him to "ask" Moz if it was ok for us two to get an autograph. To our GIANT surprise Moz said "yes".

I couldn't believe it, I was standing only inches from Moz. Id met him before on 9/13/93 but, I dont know I guess I felt more confident in approaching him because I had my trusty camera with me. I made eye contact with him and he smiled. I dont remember all we said as it all goes a bit bbbblllluuuurrrrry

In no specific order; but, Moz noticed my Oasis shirt and said they're both (Liam and Noel nice lads. I said "yeah I love em they're from Manchester (I pointing to my red Manchester jumper) so then Moz replied "Yeah, All good things come from Manchester" and smiled I agreed with him. I told him Id gone to see him at his final L.A. gig in Nov. of last year and told him Id heard Liam and Noel were at his gig in awe of his performance that night. He said "really?, I hear they have a really good album out in May this year." I said "yeah" I asked if I could have my picture taken with him and he said yeah, put his arm round me and smiled. I also told him Id met him years before outside Book Soup whilst Johnny "The Rat" Rogan did a signing for the "Severed Alliance" he remeberd that cos he said he was with an old mate of his, "Jake". (true he was) I gave him a strong hand shake and he did the same. I told him "I know youve gotten this one a million times but,here goes a million and two, Ive been a fan of yours since your Bona Drag record and ....your music means soo much to me today as it did when I was a very lonely teenager". He shyfully said "No, you don't mean that" I said "I do and thank you" Oh he also signed my Manchester jumper.(In between all this was the girl that I met.)

How was the Zutons gig? I guess it was ok. Moz kinda took over the night from the moment I saw him upstairs chuggin Heinikens. Big THX too the guy and his gf for hooking me up with the tix and ViP pass.